Metonic Ship Week - 2019
by the-clarity-organism
Summary: Little snippets for the prompts of Metonic Ship Week!
1. Books

Metal prioritized schedule and order over all else, which was something not made easy by the fact that he lived with Doctor Eggman, who was very much _not_ for schedule and order... unless it involved his soap operas, of course.

That's why Metal found it _insulting_ when he showed up at his scheduled time to fight Sonic, only to see Sonic lounging on a chair and reading.

Unless it was some form of fighting technique that Metal was unaware of, Sonic had officially been unprepared to battle. Metal let out a disbelieving beep, then approached as Sonic continued to be distracted by his reading material.

"I _do_ hope you are more punctual with the doctor, at least," he said sharply.

He didn't actually hope that, considering the doctor was even _less_ punctual, and Sonic being prepared for Eggman and not Metal was even more insulting.

Sonic looked up, giving Metal a confused gaze. He blinked, taking a moment to think before his eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh! Is it time to fight already?"

Metal's optics squinted in response.

"Sorry." He lifted his book just slightly, as if Metal hadn't already seen it, because of _course_ Metal had seen it; the thing was taking up the amount of Sonic's attention that was _supposed_ to be on Metal himself! "I was just getting to the good part."

Metal scoffed, "I see. Regardless, now you are simply delaying our fight by making excuses. It is irrelevant as to why our fight has been delayed as, now that you are aware of the fact, you should be moving immediately to fight, even if you are at a substantial placement in your-"

He paused, letting out a stunned beep as he finally took in the book. He'd been so focused on Sonic that he hadn't noticed the particular design of said book.

"S-sonic-"

"Ooo, are we on a first name basis now, _Metal?_" Sonic teased.

Metal didn't glorify that with a response, still shocked. "What-what are you reading?"

Sonic seemed confused for a moment, likely due to Metal's earlier comment about excuses. Then, he just smirked. "A book."

Metal paused, unsure if Sonic was toying with him or not. "What _kind_ of book?"

"Mmm, I think it's an action adven-"

Okay, he was toying with him. "-the _title_ of the book."

Sonic snorted, holding the book out to Metal. "See for yourself. Just don't lose my spot."

Metal hesitated, then took the book from Sonic's hands. He got a brief glint of recognizable words on the page Sonic was on, then kept a thumb to hold the page's place as he closed the book on it.

Metal looked at the title and became speechless. He not only _knew_ this book, but it was one of his _favorites._

Sonic hummed, leaning towards Metal lazily. "You read it before?" he asked, almost as if he caught the recognition in Metal's eyes.

"What?" Metal instinctively replied. It took him a second to register what Sonic said, after which he frantically shoved the book back into Sonic's arms. "No. Do not be ridiculous. I would never-I-I only read the highest forms of literature."

"I mean, this book was high up on the shelf in the library," Sonic said dryly, waving the book about.

Metal eyed Sonic, then the book, not even having a reaction to the obvious joke.

After a moment, he asked, "Wha-what is your favorite chapter?"

"Hm?"

Metal gestured vaguely to the book in Sonic's hands.

Sonic looked at the book, then back at Metal. Immediately, his expression turned smug again. "I thought we were supposed to fight and not _meander around_ with _meaningless excuses,_" he said, doing his best Metal impression for the latter part of the sentence.

Metal let out a strangled beep, but shook his head. "_Well,_ since you clearly have _so much interest_ in this foolish novel, then you would not be of a clear enough mind to fight. However, since it would be a waste of my time if I came here only to leave, then I have no choice but to allow you to prattle on about this book."

He sat down with as much of a huff as he could manage. "And since _you_ were the one who so _rudely_ abandoned our fight, then you will have to deal with the consequences."

Sonic stared at Metal-perhaps a bit longer than Metal was comfortable with-then smiled and opened the book back up. "If you say so."

Metal tried to sound stern, but as he stared at both Sonic and the book in Sonic's hands, his voice came out soft.

"I _do_ say so..."


	2. Alternative First Meeting

Sonic sped through Stardust Speedway, grinning as he made his way towards the goal. He was fully expecting Eggman to show up with some new toy for him to break, but Sonic wasn't afraid. He never took Eggman very seriously and he never would.

However, as he ran along, he was suddenly stopped as an unknown figure crashed down in front of him. Sonic jumped back, nearly falling down in surprise, then looked the figure up and down.

It was a blue-and-white robot, almost seeming to be designed after Sonic himself. He wore a spiked belt with a cape around his waist, had sharp red eyes, and the spikes on his head made the resemblance more than clear for Sonic.

Sonic crossed his arms, gaze dropping downwards. "...Nice shoes."

The robot's optics squinted at him.

"You the boss of this place?" Sonic asked, pointing at him. "One of Eggman's—"

"I am _not_ Eggman's subordinate," the robot practically hissed. "I am Neo Metal Sonic, and I am here to eliminate you."

Sonic tried not to snort. He failed. "_Neo Metal Sonic?_ Why don't you just add a few extra words onto it while you're at it?"

"It is sufficient as a title," Neo replied.

"It's _sufficiently_ too long," Sonic retorted, though he was 90% sure that he wasn't using that word correctly.

"Your opinion on the matter is irrelevant," Neo said, getting into a fighting stance, "and that will only be further proven once I defeat you."

Sonic smirked. "That right? So, are you gonna shoot rockets at me, or get a slow wrecking ball and—"

Neo reacted—much quicker than Sonic had expected—and it only took a second before Sonic was on the ground with Neo holding him down.

Sonic was just a little impressed.

"Do you take me for a fool, simply because I was one of the doctor's creations?" Neo asked.

Sonic raised a brow, unafraid despite the vulnerable position he was in. "I thought you said you _weren't_ Egghead's lacky?"

"I was created by him, but I have far surpassed him and have taken on my own identity. I was 'Metal Sonic' then, and I am 'Neo Metal Sonic' now."

Sonic refrained from pointing out that adding 'Neo' to a name that Eggman made didn't count as having his own identity. "Ahuh. And you want to kill me _why?_"

"It was the directive I was created with," Neo answered, one hand on Sonic's shoulder while the other was raised to strike. "Therefore, I must carry it out."

"...Oh," Sonic replied, pouting a bit.

Neo glared. "What do you mean by that?"

Sonic glanced casually off to to the side. "Nothing, just disappointed. Thought you really betrayed Eggman for a sec."

"I have!" Neo insisted, sounding offended. "I am no longer under his control."

"Oh yeah?" Sonic challenged with both skepticism and smugness. "Following an order Egghead gave when he made you doesn't sound weird to you?"

"I—"

Neo's optics flickered. His fingers twitched. Sonic looked on with curiosity, surprised that a robot had actually considered what he'd said.

Neo stood up, letting out a beeping noise as he clutched his head. Sonic pushed himself into a sitting position, watching as Neo seemed to have some sort of crisis.

Sonic supposed there wasn't going to be a boss fight today. It was a bit of a shame, considering that he was kind of looking forward to fighting Neo despite his gripes.

He shrugged it off mentally, then went to dash past Neo. However, his arm was almost immediately grabbed, pulling him back.

"Wait!"

Sonic glanced back, confused. "What?"

He couldn't tell if Neo was glaring at him or not. "It...it was admittedly not optimal for me to attack you without question, given the circumstances. In my pursuit of a purpose, I did not consider that I was continuing to follow the doctor's orders."

Sonic didn't reply, but thought to himself that the fact should've been obvious. Though, he supposed that, if Neo had really _just_ been made, it was weirdly natural that he'd be scatter-brained.

_Very_ weirdly natural.

"But..." Neo continued, "you cannot simply leave me here."

Sonic blinked. "Why not?"

"Because—" Neo's grip on Sonic's wrist tightened. "Because _you_ are the one who brought up this conundrum! T-therefore, _you_ must be the one to get me out of it!"

Sonic paused, slowly absorbing what Neo was trying to tell him. Neo even let go of his wrist, hands on his hips and his chest puffed out as if he was so sure of what he was saying.

Finally, Sonic snorted. Then, he laughed, doubling over as Neo looked on in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Neo asked. "I do not understand."

Sonic took a moment to compose himself, then stood straight and grinned. "You're funny, Neo."

"...Funny?" Neo echoed. "And furthermore, my full title is—"

Sonic held a hand up, silencing him. "Lesson one of being your own thing: don't use the name that Eggman gave you."

Neo stared at Sonic, looking unusually thoughtful about the comment, then nodded.

"And okay, you can come with me," Sonic agreed, turning away from him. He glanced back just to give Neo a smirk. "_If_ you can keep up."

Neo beeped. "These are acceptable terms."

Sonic nodded, then readied himself before speeding off in the direction he'd been going before Neo showed up. It wasn't his top speed, but he was sure to go at a pace he didn't think anyone could keep up with.

Although he'd expected to immediately leave Neo in the dust, he heard the revving of an engine and looked behind him to see that, surprisingly, Neo actually _was_ keeping up.

Sonic was a little more than impressed.


	3. Water

Metal was absolutely _furious_ with the doctor. Once he'd finished up here, he was _intent_ on giving the doctor a piece of his mind.

...T-through a strongly worded letter, of course. A strongly worded, long... anonymous letter.

Metal stomped along the pathway of Aquarium Park, his head swiveling left and right as he tried to pick up Sonic's energy signal. Sonic typically radiated energy, but given the current circumstances, it was expected that he wouldn't have many avenues in which to release it.

Of course, that didn't make Metal any less frustrated. It wasn't that he was concerned about Sonic, because he wasn't, but it would be profoundly suboptimal to find that Sonic had already perished.

He was certain that Sonic wouldn't, but he... he still needed to find him.

Metal just barely sensed Sonic upon approaching one of the many water-filled areas. Sonic breached the water for a second before grabbing hold of the pathway's edge in a desperate attempt to not sink again.

He gasped for air, then coughed up a small amount of water. After putting his head down to groan, he finally noticed Metal and glanced up at him.

His ears drooped with exhaustion. "Ugh. Hey, I know you probably wanna fight, but can we get a rain check or something on that?"

Metal, unphased, reached down and grabbed one of Sonic's hands. "We are in space. Therefore, it can not rain."

Sonic went to say something, only to then yelp as Metal pulled him fully out of the water and into his arms.

Sonic was soaking wet, but Metal was waterproof and therefore unbothered by the feeling. "Furthermore, I am not here to fight you."

"You—" Sonic blinked. "What?"

"As I have said, I am not here to engage you in combat. You are wet, exhausted, and wholly unprepared for battle. It would be a waste to fight you in such a condition."

"Uh..." Sonic paused, seeming to think about that. "Cool? But—what are you doing then?"

Metal did not miss the way Sonic so casually wrapped his arms around Metal's neck for stability. It was a typical organic practice; Sonic was relaxing since Metal had assured him that no harm would come to him.

Thus, Metal paid the touches no mind. He let Sonic do as he pleased not because he enjoyed it, but because it would serve to speed up the progress towards Sonic feeling better enough to fight.

"It is simple," Metal replied. "I will take you through the rest of this zone. Then, you may rest before we fight."

"Gotcha."

Metal eyed Sonic suspiciously, recognizing the look in Sonic's face, but chose to ignore it as he turned to start walking out of the zone.

"What about red rings?"

Metal stopped. "What?"

"Red rings." Sonic smiled in that way that Metal hated but continued to stare at. "They're important for getting the Chaos Emeralds."

"Ah." Well, Metal supposed that it couldn't be helped. If this was a requirement to getting Sonic to fight him, then so be it. Plus, it was just efficient this way. "Very well. We shall collect these _red rings_ along the way, then we shall bet the Chaos Emeralds for our fight."

"Fair enough." Sonic paused, humming with a bit of amusement. "And what about me being all wet?"

"Given that this area is is water-based, surely the doctor would have supplied towels somewhere, unless he is truly idiotic."

Sonic gave him a blank stare.

Metal paused, then stared down at his hands holding Sonic. "I can optimize my body heat for this purpose then. It will have to do."

Sonic went back to amusement. "What about eating then?"

Metal's optics blinked. "_That_ is something that the doctor would most certainly have around. Though, if I am to fight you in optimal conditions, the nourishment that _his_ food would provide would be insufficient for fighting."

"Ooo~" Sonic smirked. "You've really thought of everything, huh?"

"Of course," Metal stated, a bit offended that Sonic would think otherwise. "I will do whatever it takes to defeat you."

"You could've just let me drown, y'know."

Metal scoffed at that. "I am not as brute-ish as the doctor. If I am going to fight you, I want it to be a fair one where the winner is obvious."

Sonic blinked, then had the nerve to _chuckle._

"What?" Metal asked, letting out an irritated beep. "What is so amusing to you?"

Sonic shook his head, then smiled. "That was just _way_ too cool of a thing for an Eggman robot to say."

Metal went to reply, but faltered as he processed the definition of 'cool.' Thus, all he could let out was an, "Oh."

Sonic snorted with amusement. "What, you've never been complimented before?"

Metal chose not to answer, instead beginning to walk off with Sonic in his arms.

If Metal's face was warmer at all, it was definitely only part of the process of warming Sonic up.


	4. Memories

"This takes me back," Sonic said with a smile, walking down the ruined hallway as Metal followed closely behind.

Metal let out a neutral hum. "Your ability to cause destruction is immeasurable."

"Hey, you helped," Sonic reminded him. "I can't take _all_ the credit."

He kept walking, but stopped as the sound of Metal's footsteps suddenly cut off. He turned, seeing Metal staring silently down at a destroyed robot.

"...Mets?"

Metal straightened, clearly having not meant to be caught. Sonic smiled, offering his hand to him. Metal rushed forward to catch up to him, intertwining their fingers as they continued walking together.

"It is not as though I am saddened by the loss of these robots," Metal said. "I am aware that they were not capable of rational thought, such as myself. It is just..."

"Hard?" Sonic guessed. "I mean, you're a robot too, so it's weird seeing your kind scattered like this, right?"

Metal nodded. "Yes. I do not regret it though."

They entered the main room of the abandoned lab, which had sustained the most damage out of the whole area. The screen was smashed, machine parts were everywhere, and despite the decimation, there was a distinct sense of victory in the air.

Sonic noticed an Eggman-sized chair that had been knocked over at some point. He grinned, speeding over and lifting the chair back up. He then hopped on, looking laughably small in it as he laid horizontally across it, kicking his legs up over the arm.

"Metal Sonic, I am giving you strict orders not to obey me," Sonic said in a dramatic voice.

Metal let out a beep-y chuckle. "The doctor was never good at covering his bases. Programming some of his robots with sentience was his ultimate downfall."

Sonic hopped off the chair, pausing before giving it a casual kick to knock it back over. "Do you think I would've been able to take him down without you?"

"Ah, that is not fair, Sonic," Metal argued.

"Because you're biased?" Sonic asked with a grin.

"No," Metal replied stiffly. "It is because calculating such a thing would be near impossible. I do welcome a challenge, but..." He paused, seeming thoughtful. "Well, I am sure you would have found a way regardless. You are predictable in your unpredictability, as much as I hate to say something that sounds almost paradoxical."

"That's called 'growth,' Mets," Sonic said, sufficiently amused. He turned, then walked away to lean against the inactive control panel. "And yeah, maybe I could've still defeated Egghead. Not if _you_ were still on his side though."

Metal scoffed, "You are just trying to flatter me."

"Did it work?"

Metal didn't glorify that with a response, averting his gaze, but the red glow of his optical screen gave him away.

"...Hey," Sonic called. "Do you ever miss it? Working for Eggman?"

Metal gave him a confused look that was honestly _comical._

Sonic shrugged, adding, "Well, you said once that there was some 'lingering code' or something from when you still worked for him, yeah?"

"I cannot believe you remember that." Metal shook his head. "Regardless, no, it is nothing like that. I had to fight against my programming on occasion, that is all. It is not anywhere near the problem it used to be, and I was never programmed to _want_ to work under him."

"Ah," Sonic said, vaguely understanding. With a sly smile, he teased, "Because I was gonna say that you could always visit Egghead in jail if you missed-"

"_No,_" Metal cut in. "Absolutely not."

Sonic chuckled.

Metal continued, approaching Sonic and standing in front of him, "I have no interest in seeing that man's face ever again, nor do I care about what may happen to him."

"Good. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you left me for an older man," Sonic joked.

The strangled beep of disgust Metal let out said more than enough. Once he'd recovered, Metal added, "I simply take solace in the fact that our dating likely caused the doctor a lot of mental stress."

Sonic nodded, looking absolutely proud of himself. He glanced around the room, clearly admiring the damage he'd caused, then got a thoughtful expression on his face.

Metal's optics flickered. "I recognize that look," he stated.

Sonic grinned, hoisting himself up on the control panel. "Y'know what'd cause him even _more_ mental stress if he knew about it?"

Metal beeped, already knowing where this was going. Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Considering that he _won't_ know about it, your unvoiced suggestion sounds more like an excuse than anything else."

"Is that a 'no?'" Sonic asked, feigning a pout.

"...I never said that," Metal pointed out. He reached up, gently cupping Sonic's face. In response, Sonic smirked and leaned in.

Relishing their victory from the past, they kissed.


	5. Travel

Sonic liked Shamar. He liked a lot of places, honestly. There was something inherently appealing about having such a wide-open place to move around. Granted, in his current werehog state, it was a little more pointless, but still, he could appreciate it.

Though, he appreciated Metal and his antics a little bit more.

"Is this not customary?" Metal asked. "For a boyfriend to buy things for their significant other?"

"You don't have rings," Sonic reminded him with an amused smile.

"But you are not denying that it is something commonly done," Metal said curtly. "You cannot fool me, Sonic. Your lack of usual bluntness is not lost on me, I assure you!"

Sonic smirked. "You could always go do an act in the Entrance Stage and get some that way," he teased.

Maybe his lack of usual bluntness hadn't been lost on Metal, but his teasing certainly had. "Ah! That is correct! Remain here while I achieve the required currency."

"Mets, you-"

He was cut off by the thrum of Metal's engine. "I will return momentarily."

Sonic turned as Metal blew past him, only able to shout, "look out for the rockets!" before Metal was completely gone.

Sonic snorted, giving the shop owner an amused smile. She smiled back.

Sonic went over to the nearest wall, reclining against it as he waited for Metal to return. They'd only started dating recently, but it was strangely easy to slip into. Metal didn't ask anything of him that he wasn't comfortable with, and even took the whole "boyfriend" thing so seriously that Sonic didn't think he could hate it even if he wanted to.

Granted, he hadn't told anyone yet, leaving some roadblocks to get past, but-

"Soniiiic!"

Sonic flinched at the female voice, now on alert. He straightened, moving away from the wall as he noticed Amy heading his way.

Ohhhh, that's right. Professor Pickle had moved here and Amy had gone with him.

Shoot.

"Uh, hey, Amy," he greeted with an awkward wave. "What's up?"

He could practically _see_ the hearts popping off her head as she began to ramble. It wasn't that Sonic _hated_ the girl, but to say that she was overwhelming was an understatement.

Plus, it was really hard to focus on all the romance-centric things that she was saying when he was also waiting for his _boyfriend_ to return. Amy was just such a great reminder of why Sonic didn't want to tell anyone that he was dating someone.

As Amy continued to prattle on, Sonic finally noticed Metal out of the corner of his vision, though pretended not to for the sake of politeness. Amy _was_ talking to him, after all.

However, Sonic could see the way Metal tensed as soon as Metal saw Amy, and Sonic then had to suppress his laughter as Metal took cover behind something in order to hide.

Sonic couldn't blame him, but seeing Metal _cower_ over someone shorter than him was amusing... even if Sonic himself couldn't exactly judge him for that.

It had taken a bit longer than Sonic had liked-and someone had actually stepped in to call Amy away-but Sonic was eventually free to wave to Metal, reassuring him that he could come over.

His ear twitched at the beep Metal made, as Metal clearly hadn't thought that Sonic had noticed him. Nonetheless, Metal approached, going to the shop counter first to drop a heap of rings onto it.

Sonic smirked. "Can't blame you for being scared of her."

Metal swiveled to face Sonic, looking offended. "Me? Do not be ridiculous! I am not afraid of that pink menace!"

"Oh? What were you hiding for then?"

Metal stiffened. "W-well-" He placed a hand to his muzzle and beeped; the robotic equivalent of clearing one's throat, Sonic figured. "You see, I simply did not want to interrupt. Had I been noticed, that girl certainly would have become distracted by my brilliance and not been able to finish her conversation with you."

"So you left me to suffer all by myself," Sonic teased.

"Wha-" Metal shook his head. "No! That is not-it was not-"

Sonic laughed, waving a hand dismissively. "I'm kidding, Mets. Seriously, it's no big deal about Amy, y'know? Even _I'm_ scared of that hammer of hers. She has some wicked strength behind it."

Metal looked stunned by the admittance, then grew quiet, seeming to be in thought. "Ah... yes. Of course, I do not have to worry about her since, even if I had been unable to fight back, you..."

Metal trailed off, and Sonic didn't miss the way that Metal was staring at his arms.

Metal must have noticed that _Sonic_ had noticed, since the lower portion of his optical screen turned red before he focused his attention back on the shopkeeper.

Sonic felt very smug about it, to say the least.


	6. Machine

Sonic had the standard things in his house, like a television, a refrigerator, and a microwave, but that didn't mean he actively cared about them. They were convenient and all, sure, but he didn't go crazy about them, and he outright _hated_ a lot of the minions that Eggman created in that lab of his. That opinion also wasn't helped by Sonic's experience with Planet Wisp, showing how those machines could completely take over the nature he loved so much.

Point being, Sonic wasn't particularly into technology.

...Well, with one exception.

"Neu, you can come off the fridge now."

Neo continued perching, optics glaring down at Sonic from his current position. "I am up here because I desire to be."

"Ahuh." Sonic glanced up with a grin. "And it _just so happens_ that you leap up there every time the toaster goes off?"

Neo lets out a series of strangled beeps. "Are-are you implying that I am _afraid_ of your so-called _toaster?_"

"Maybe," Sonic replied sassily. Standing on his tip-toes, he reached into a cupboard and pulled out a plate, then reached his other hand out to grab the toast.

"_S-sonic!_" Neo called strictly. "I still cannot believe that you trust the food that comes out of that machine!"

"Haven't died yet," Sonic teased, biting into one of the pieces for emphasis. It was _way_ too hot, but totally worth it for the snark points.

Neo beeped in disbelief. "You do not even know how that toaster was _made._ It could be _sentient._ It could be after you."

Sonic raised a brow, amused. "You mean like _you_ used to be?"

Neo stared blankly at him.

"...Too soon?" Sonic guessed. He gave a one-armed shrug, then took his plate of plain toast and headed for the couch.

A clang against the kitchen tiles followed, so Sonic knew that Neo was following him. "I am simply pointing out that you are too trusting, Sonic."

"Couldn't you just use that metal-absorb-y thing you do to see what it's like on the inside?" Sonic asked, glancing over his shoulder to Neo.

Neo recoiled, hand to his chest as if he was struck. "This is not anything like that, Sonic! I _knew_ what the doctor's base was made out of and I had the blueprints to know how to use those parts!"

Sonic sat down on the couch, propping his legs up onto the table as the plate sat in his lap. "You could always figure out who made that toaster and then go steal their blueprints from them."

Neo scoffed, "I am not a criminal, Sonic."

"Well, if you're so sure that their toasters are out to get me, doesn't that make _them_ criminals?" Sonic took another bite of his toast. "Sounds pretty fair to me."

He glanced over at Neo, seeing that he'd apparently gotten the poor robot into some sort of logic trap.

He laughed. "I'm kidding, Neu."

Neo beeped, then sat down next to him. "I was aware of that." He paused, relaxing against the back of the couch. "...I am sorry. I am not accustomed to living in a place where I do not understand everything to the highest degree."

Sonic chuckled, waving dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I know you can't help it if you get jealous of the other machines I touch."

Neo let out a choked beep. "J-jealous?! Sonic-you dare to suggest-"

"_Chill,_" Sonic told him, snorting. He paused for dramatic effect, then added, "You know you're my favorite."

"I-" Whatever Neo had planned to say was suddenly cut off. For a moment, Neo just stared at him, optics flickering.

"...Y-yes. Of course I am aware of that. I am w-wholly knowledgeable on this subject, and you are simply stating the obvious."

Sonic smirked to himself as Neo crossed his arms and averted his gaze, clearly flustered.

_Definitely_ his favorite.


	7. Festival

"Sonic, this is a serious matter. Do not look at me with such an amused expression."

Sonic tried not to snicker at Metal continuing to try on an assortment of ties. He failed. "Mets—"

"Sonic!" Metal faced him, throwing his current tie aside in frustration. "Take me seriously!"

"I am!" Sonic said between laughter, "but Metal, you can't look at things this way!"

"That is a false statement," Metal huffed. "It is how I am currently looking at things, presuming that you do not mean that literally."

Sonic forced himself to regain his composure, cutting off the last bout of laughter by clearing his throat. "All I'm saying is that you can't _prepare_ for a festival."

Metal scoffed, "That is what you say. You are not someone who prepares, Sonic. _I,_ however, am experienced in preparing and have the capability to be prepared for anything."

"Except becoming friends with me," Sonic chimed in with a knowing look.

Metal clearly heard him and was trying hard to ignore the comment. Raising his index finger, he said, "You cannot expect me to simply go to an event and not prepare accordingly. Thus, I shall ask you again: what is the proper attire for this festival?"

"That's not how festivals work, Mets. At least not this one," Sonic pointed out.

Metal beeped in irritation, turning away from Sonic as if he felt like Sonic was lying to him. "So there is not even so much as a theme? How can it be an event when there are not any rules or etiquette to follow?"

"There's a rule," Sonic replied.

Metal jerked his head back to him.

Sonic paused, then grinned. "It's to have fun."

"_AUGH!_" Metal threw his hands up in exasperation, letting out a series of beeps and noises that Sonic didn't even think Metal could make. He stormed over to his bed, flopping down on it like a ragdoll.

"Mets," Sonic called with a smile.

Metal continued laying there, completely motionless. Sonic walked over, taking a seat on the bed and crossing one leg over the other.

"Metal~"

He got a beep in response. "I am not going. This is clearly a pointless endeavor."

"What do you mean?"

"It is just as I said," Metal replied. "There is no point to me partaking in this event."

"Sure there is," Sonic argued. "I want you to be there."

Metal didn't reply verbally, but Sonic noticed the way his fingers twitched.

Sonic continued, now thoughtful, "I asked you if you wanted to go in the first place because I wanted you to have fun, Mets. You've been all cooped up in the house ever since you betrayed Eggman, and I know you've been dying to—"

"Robots cannot die."

"—_dying to_—" Sonic repeated anyway, in a tone that discouraged Metal from interrupting him. "—go outside. You keep staring out the window like you're worried that Egghead's gonna come crashing through the door to take you back, and I thought the festival would help get your mind off of things."

Metal didn't respond at first, but promptly buried himself deeper into the bed, almost in embarrassment.

Sonic mulled over his options, knowing that it wasn't healthy for Metal to continue going on like this. With an audible sigh, Sonic got off the bed and shrugged.

"Well, I guess you're right. You could never prepare for something like this."

He started to walk off, but stopped as he heard the rustling of the blanket. He turned just in time to see Metal push himself up.

"What is that tone?" Metal asked with a suspicious glare.

"Oh, nothing," Sonic replied. "Just, y'know..."

"No, I do not know."

Sonic looked off at the wall, pretending to be distracted. "I mean, I guess it makes sense that you can't prepare for something unexpected, right? I'm sure it'd be such a tough challenge to be prepared for anything at any time. It wouldn't even be worth it. _I'd_ be more prepared than you for something like this."

He could feel Metal's eyes on him, Metal himself clearly processing those words. Sonic could practically sense Metal's skepticism, Metal likely knowing that he was being played.

But if there was one thing Sonic knew about Metal, it was that Metal was _weak._

"...Very well. We shall go to this festival."

"What?" Sonic asked as innocently as he possibly could. "I thought you said you weren't going to go?"

If Metal hadn't already seen through him, he did now, but Metal still got off the bed and headed for the door, grabbing Sonic's hand along the way.

"I have changed my mind, as it were."

Sonic smirked, but grew confused as he realized that Metal was already dragging him out the door, "Wait, we're leaving _now?_ The festival isn't for—"

"I am prepared for anything," Metal interrupted, "and that includes the festival deciding to open early. Therefore, we are going. If the festival is not open by the time we arrive, you will simply have to keep me entertained until it is."

Sonic could tell by Metal's last comment that this was very much the trade-off for Sonic "tricking" him. Sonic just grinned, being perfectly okay with that.

"Whatever you say, Mets."


End file.
